Tale as Old As Time

There's not much to report about my running last week and that's not the worst thing. I'm in a small in-between, post-race but pre-race that is quicker than usual. I took a run day off last week as the legs were feeling tired and I had some swelling in my left knee, but that seems to have alleviated and wasn't any worse after the 8 miler yesterday. I'm hopeful that I can pick-up this week and lean into the training before the half in May. After that, we'll have a short rest and then ideally hit up some marathon summer training.

I'm trying to work strength into my routine so come summer it'll be a part of what I do. I know it's not hard, but it's not fun and certainly not something that I want to spend more of my little free time during the week on. But if I want to run healthy and hopefully well, I need to think about the importance of that. As well as the importance of my diet. 

I've had a few too many days where I don't want to run not only because I'm tired, but because I'm hungry. I am working to try and find a balance of food during the work day that fills me and allows me to run at an earlier time than would likely make sense if I had an earlier lunch. So far that's a work in progress being that I am still quite full from my 1pm lunch today.

All in all, I'm just trying to find some rhythm again and, in some ways, maybe for the first time in a long time. That is sort of exciting, isn't it?

Where the Concrete Meets the Water

Eastern States was, in two words, not fun. Some other words that may work include: windy, cold, snowy/rainy/sleety, hard, suffer-fest, done.

I went into this run looking forward to a good race. Not necessarily in time because I am still working myself back into fitness, but in terms of the mental game. I feel a little bit more like myself with running these days and it has a little bit more joy in it. As I've posted before, some of this has to do with a real difficult 2025 at various times, a rut with running due to injury and winter. As all these things melt away way a bit, there is a little sunshine coming back to my daily runs.

So, I was ready for a race where I could put my brain to work and see what my body could do when I ran smart and interested. Eastern States, or perhaps New England weather, said "nah".

From the start, when the sleet came through at the line, I was worried. I am not the best at cold running and sometimes can find myself real cold and unable to warm-up. That concern, although I was relatively properly dressed, stayed with me well into the first few miles. I wasn't actually cold, my legs were a bit but working fine, but I just kept thinking "what if". What if I get too cold? When can I leave the course? How do I leave the course? What are the signs of something going bad? All this kept circling in my head even while I ran.

It was a head down type of run to mostly due to the wind and rain hitting you in the face and also because it was just a get through it type of day. While I had mini panics about how wrong something could go, I also kept saying how strong I was to be out there fighting for something that, honestly, carries little significance in my life other than as a hobby. I also did not do well with fuel or water intake, the misery of the run causing the lack of focus and desire for either.

I gave into music probably around mile 7 or 8 and the splits there show why I did and why I needed to do it. I had another hard spell at miles 10/11 although, in retrospect, I thinking a lot of that was the head wind. I found some people to work beside and that was nice even if no one was really enjoying it all that much. It was really inspiring, though, to see the friend/coach who was pacing their runner and how hard they both worked in different ways. I hope they reached their goal.

Afterwards, I actually feel okay about it all. I'm not really disappointed but I wouldn't say that I'm proud either. I did fight through the day, but I didn't fight that much other than to the finish line. I do feel ready to focus on training and to also focus more roundly on it, including strength, food and fuel. I have some plans for fuel I'd like to try and hope they are good for the stomach. I have some idea of how I can work in even the most basic strength. And food will always be a learning experience.

Up next is a half marathon May 9th and then it will be some rest, some of the local shorter races, and gearing up for a fall marathon. I'm hopeful that I can keep this will strong and see what I can do this year.

Be Curious

I’m looking to approach this Eastern States (half marathon edition) with positivity and curiosity. It’s been a while since I’ve done a race that I didn’t have some internal pressure on myself. The half from last fall was sort of wooes-me run. It was just a survive because you signed up for it, the training was a bear, and I was too stubborn to call it. Bayshore marathon earlier in 2025 obviously had plenty of pressure and disappointment associated with it. The shorter races in the summer don’t carry much expectation with them and are always a “let’s see” race. 

In 2024 Newport was a big leap for me with hiring a coach and trying to make up for Providence and prove that was a fluke. The half in the fall was a let’s see and it went well but I still had the PR goal hanging over it (which I got). 
For this run, I think I’m excited and looking forward to see how it goes. I have some goals in terms of how I want to run it but nothing with a time really associated with it. I’ve slowly been getting my training a bit more under wraps and in a place where I’m seeing progress and seeing a little bit of that potential that I’ve had over the past two years. It’s nice and I know that I should treat this block as a way of finding myself and my running and joy again
The run tomorrow is just one more time to celebrate that I am able to be out there with other people doing something that has, most of the time, brought joy. I’m still hopeful I’ll have another swing at a half later in the spring and then I am even more hopeful, I’ll be hungry for something in the fall.

DSL

We are almost to day light savings time and getting back that end of the day sunlight. It's such a change in the mood for me during this time. I don't really mind the cold of winter or the snow or storms. This year they were a bit more stressful with our house, but we seemed to have survived. With the cold and snow, I can keep myself inside, workout on the treadmill, and go outside if I feel like it on the weekends.

But the loss of the sunlight in November is what hits me hard. It makes the days feel never-ending in a weird way. Wake-up in the dark, go home in the dark. Rinse and repeat. 

I lose a lot of my freedom outside with the loss of light too. We live in an area where I'd have to drive if I want to run outside after work and, really, that I don't have the energy for that. That would all be okay (see previous paragraph about how I can manage the tread) but with the husband always at home, there is a lose of alone time. It's all so rushed in a way when it's on the tread and noisy. It feels confining during the week that has little to do with the weather. Once we spring back, it feels like taking a deep breath. There is still winter, and in recent years, storms, but there is hope and space.

I think right now that's what I really need: hope. Just a little something that shines light around everything and everyone. Winters are hard and this winter felt and feels particularly hard. I think life feels heavy. Perhaps with the end of the dark days literally, there will be some light days figuratively.